, 1887-08-28

was ready to welcome my partner, but
before they bad come in sight the widow
sprang up in great terror, and cried
out:
"Oh, sir, they are the Indians who
have been on my trail! Don't let them
take me awayl Let me hide in the
wagonI'
I'm with you quick, and they will
have to kill me before they lay hands on
you" 1 replied, and she disappeared be-
meath the cover with astonishing celebrity.
The gallop came nearer and nearer,
and presently a voice hailed me:
1.-THE camp thar-hellel"
"Who is it?"
"Friends."
"Come in"
With that a half breed and a Kickapoo
came riding into camp on horses which
had neither saddle nor blanket. Both
men looked savage and sullen, and were
well armed. The half breed could speak
very good English, and when he had
come to a halt and looked around, he
said:
1--WE are after the woman who came
into your camp a few hours ago. 1 see
her horse over there"
"By what authority do you demand
herr"
''None of your business. We have
come for her, and we mean to nave her."
d you mean that you will take her
by force?"
81 do; and let me give you a piece of
advice. / see you are a tenderfoot.
Don't put on too many airs in this coun-
try. It's a great place to nave ones
wings cropped in a hurry. Don't at
tempt any foolishness with us, or you'll
never know what hurt you"
1 had my Winchester in hand and two
revolvers in my belt. Had 1 been a hot
tempered man, there would have been
some shooting before he had concluded
his bombastic speech. l am slow to
anger, especially when human life may
pay the forfeit, and 1 heard him through
without being rolled. The woman was
hidden away in the wagon, and had not
revealed her presence to them by word
or move.
eff the woman chooses to go with you,
well and good, " 1 answered, as l looked
the fellow over by the light of the camp
fire. "If she does not you canno take
her."
"Oh we can't, ehp You crow pretty
loud for a spring chicken. Well, ask the
wench to make a choice"
The wagon was about ten PAGES from
the fire, and in the shadow, although not
SO much so that l could not see it pretty
plainly. l had made a step toward it
when l saw a black object under the
wheels, and, s%upposing it to be a wolf, 1
raised M gun and took a snap shot,
caring only to send a bullet near enough
to drive it away. The object disappeared
with the echoes of the report, and as l
walked along to the wagon the two men,
who had not d~ismounted, accompanied
me. Standing within five feet of the
vehicle l called to the woman and asked
if she desired to go with the men, and
she replied:
sob! sir, save me from them, even if
you have to shoot me-"
"But. you've got to comet" shouted
the halfbreed.
''She shall not goi' 1 shouted at him.
i give you two villains sixty seconds in
which to leave camp. Now gol'
They were close together, and my rifle
covered both. They looked straight at
me for fifteen or twenty seconds, and
then turned and rode away in the dark
ness. l followed them for 100 yards,
when they urged their horses to a galop,
and rode to the north without looking
back. l stood and looked after them
until l could no longer hear the beat of
their horses hoofs, and l felt rather
proud of my nerve in driving them
away. 1t did not occur to me until next
day hat either or both of them could
have got the drop OF me up to the time 1
raised my rifle, and that while they
were making threats of what they would
do they left their rifles lying across their
saddles. They simply permitted me to
force them out of camp at the muzzle of
my Winchester, and that was a part of
their plan. When l returned to the fire
the woman was beside it, her face betray-
ing fear and distress, and as soon as J
came up she clasped her hands and tear
fully exclaimed:
"Oh, you will not let them take me
away-you will notl'
i assured her that they had been driven
off, and that she was safe, and her graft
tude was unbounded. 1t was now 10
O'Clock and after, and Patton had not vet
returned. 1t was useless to expect him
until morning, and l set about preparing
the camp for the night. AS there was a
strong probability that the two men
driven off would secure re-enforcements
and return during the night,-I tied the
hOrSe 10 tne wagon, UOlu Ine woman tnat
she could occupy the vehicle, and pre-
pared to spend the night on guard. She
seemed to oppose this latter arrangement,
doubling if the men would return, and
declaring it was a sacrifice on my part
she could not accept. 1 bundled her into
the wagon, however, promising that 1
might catch a nap at 1 or 2 O'Clock if
all was quiet, and by and by 1 let the fire
go down and took my circle around the
camp with cat like step. A few coyotes
and wolves came about, but nothing
seemed to disturb me, and the hours
passed away until 2 o'clock. By that
time l was very tired and sleepy. l
dared not stretch out for a regular sleep,
knowing that the danger was not yet
passed, but 1 sat down on a knoll about
forty feet north of the wagon to nap a
little, knowing that any noise of account
would instantly arouse me. 1t was per-
haps q quarter of an hour before / ac-
tually fell asleep, and almost instantly I
began to dream. l dreamed that / was
tied fast to a tree on the plains, and that
a rattlesnake was crawling toward me.
The snake was coming to bite me, me I
was helpless. Every movement of the
reptile was as vivid as if the dream had